Sussman & Lund Provide Tellarite Tidbits

See Also: 'Bounty' Episode Guide

Co-producer Mike Sussman and actor Jordan Lund (Skalaar) recently spoke about the Enterprise debut of one of the original Trek's most memorable races, the Tellarites.

In "Bounty", the penultimate episode of the season, Lund plays Skalaar, a Tellarite bounty hunter who captures Archer after the Klingons put a price on his head. "We had a great time re-visiting this race, and hopefully we've been able to capture the spirit of the original, with a few updated touches," Lund wrote at the TrekBBS.

Sussman, who penned the episode's teleplay with his writing partner Phyllis Strong, praised the actor's performance. "I thought that Jordan did a great job playing Skalaar. His character is a worthy successor (or predecessor, really) to Gav, played by the great John Wheeler."

The Tellarites are the latest original Trek species to make an appearance on Enterprise, with the Andorians ("The Andorian Incident") and the Tholians ("Future Tense") having already featured in the series. Sussman said he had waited for an opportunity to bring back one of the galaxy's ugliest alien races. "I've been jonesing to get the pig-guys on-screen for a while, so I was glad it finally happened. We certainly did our best to keep the Tellarite's 'argumentative' nature alive in the teleplay."

Fans of the original Star Trek need not worry that the Tellarites will be changed for their Enterprise debut, as Sussman has promised a faithful "updating" of their appearance to reflect advances in makeup since the 1960s. "Michael Westmore did a fantastic job updating the Tellarite's look, just as he did with the Andorians. I particularly like how the new makeup manages to evoke the deep eye sockets of the original design. I wish I could put up some images... you guys are just gonna have to wait for the show!"

Lund, a self-confessed "big fan" of the original Trek, spent three hours in the makeup chair to be transformed into the alien bounty hunter. He also lauded Westmore's artistry, saying viewers "will not be disapointed by the Tellarite eyes...or nose". The actor spent most of his time acting opposite Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer), whom he described as a "real pro". "It was smooth as silk working with him," Lund said.

"Bounty" is currently scheduled to air at 9:00 p.m. on May 14.

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